It was Sykes’ over-the-top jokes during her 2009 hosting appearance that returned the annual dinner to its long-lost status as a national conversation-piece. During her routine, Sykes called Rush Limbaugh “treasonous” for expressing his hope that President Obama’s agenda fails.

“I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker,” Sykes snarked, “but he was so strung out on Oxycontin, he missed his flight.”

Reuters journalist Caren Bohan, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, is clearly hoping for something as newsworthy, but perhaps not as controversial. “Jimmy’s humor is sophisticated and edgy while appealing to a wide audience,” Bohan said.

Proceeds from the event will provide awards for excellence in journalism and benefit a scholarship for aspiring journalists.

“I look forward to being a part of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner,” the host of the ABC late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! said in a statement. “I love dinner.”